What does one eat in Wales? Butter so yellow it’s orange. Organic Welsh butter is the best I’ve ever tasted - rich, round, satisfying. Eggs from free range chickens with yolks so orange they are red. God they’re delicious - and of course in the U.K. everyone can poach an egg perfectly.
I can’t poach an egg to save my life.
Fish. A lot of fish. When in Wales one tends to eat a lot of fish. There’s also grass fed lamb and what’s known as Welsh black beef- also grass fed. Hiking through the meadows I envied all that luscious green grass on behalf of every American farmer and rancher suffering through this summer’s drought. The cows and sheep and horses seemed so content in Wales. Such a peaceful lot.
The one thing everyone eats in Wales are Welsh Cakes. It’s part of the culture. These aren’t exactly scones, nor are they English muffins, and they definitely are not Scottish oat cakes which even the livestock refuse to eat - with good reason! Eating a Scottish oat cake is like sucking on sand. Except maybe worse. I think sand is more palatable.
Welsh Cakes are little round griddle cakes, moist, tender, not too sweet, but just sweet enough. My husband fell completely in love with them.
Here’s a traditional recipe, translated from Welsh:
8 ounces self-rising flour, sifted
4 ounces (Welsh) butter, salted
1 egg
1 handful sultanas (raisins)
3 ounces caster (superfine) sugar
Extra butter for greasing griddle.
Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like cornmeal or breadcrumbs. Add sugar, sultanas, egg. Mix well. Form a ball of dough, adding a splash of milk if necessary for moisture.
Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds with 3″-4″ cookie cutter. Heat up a heavy griddle, rub it with butter. Place the Welsh Cakes on the griddle, turning once. Cook 2-3 minutes per side. Each side should be caramel brown.
Eat plain or with jam, or dust with powdered sugar.
It’s almost midnight and now I’m hungry. Oh well, nothing like a good night’s sleep on an overfull stomach.
Now I want poached eggs. My mom cooked them perfectly for me when I was a kid. I’m going home this weekend and I’m gonna ask her to make them for me. lol
Yum!!! I’ve always wanted to try Welsh cakes.
Welsh butter… yum!
XXOO Kat
I could live in Wales. I love free range eggs and fish. But it’s funny you mention the yolk color, because I recently started buying eggs at a market where they come straight off the farm. I had some store bought “organic” ones and I cracked both open not really expecting much of a difference. I was wrong. The ones from the farm, had a yolk that was almost orange and it separated as soon as it hit the skillet. The expensive store bought one, the yolk was just yellow and so damn stiff. I only buy the farm ones now. And that was my egg story
Have a nice weekend, Julia.
They look like crumpets, but I am sure they are entirely different! Good thing you were hiking.
I think they kind of are like crumpets, Steph, but not as light. Welsh Cakes are quite moist.
I know, Delilah! Free range eggs are so different! I want my own chickens - hubby refuses - but we have the space and we even have a completely fenced and roofed dog run we don’t use.
I’m on a quest, Kat. Gotta find Welsh butter here!
They are super easy to make, Casey. Let me know what you think if you try a batch.
Me too, Amber. Poached eggs. Yum. I’ll have to work on my technique.
Hey, so make up a batch of Welsh Cakes, Tim!
You know you are making me super hungry now..
Savannah -
Sounds like sweetened, round pancakes. Yum.